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Average Salary for Southern Methodist University (SMU) Alumni

Southern Methodist University is an United Methodist school located in Dallas, Texas with around 6,000 undergraduates. Alumni report earning excellent value for their tuition dollars; the school ranks in the top 21 percent of universities by return on investment. Athletics form the core of Southern Methodist University social activity, but these students are also known for their studious nature and excellent test scores. Replies from former SMU students to PayScale's salary questionnaire form the basis for this summary.

Industry

SMU alumni find work in an assortment of industries including the telecommunications industry, the software development industry, and IT services. A large chunk of former SMU students are employed in the aerospace and defense industry; in fact, this is the most popular job sector for this population. Graduates of SMU earn $73K on average.

Gender

After college, a notable gender gap appears: the average female graduate makes $60K where the average male graduate hauls home $90K.

Jobs

In the SMU alumni professional community, Principal Systems Engineers make the highest median pay (about $124K), though Information Technology Managers (approximately $110K), and Senior Software Engineers ($92K) are close competitors. Sliding in near the bottom are Box Office Managers, who report earnings of around $31K.

Locations

SMU alumni seem to appreciate living in Dallas, and close to two-fifths of grads actually choose to stay and find employment here after completing their coursework. SMU alumni seeking the highest salaries end up in Fort Worth, Texas, which offers a median salary of $97K. Home to the lowest median salary for SMU alumni is New York, N.Y., a popular place for former students despite its approximately $69K average paycheck. Neighboring Austin, Texas is another common pick among SMU grads, along with Houston, Texas.

Degree Major

A Master of Business Administration (MBA), Business Management earns SMU students the most money after college (an average about $125K per year). A Bachelor of Science in Economics commands less pay, and these degree-holders face median pay of around $40K.

Skills

Engineering Design commands a pay premium of 32 percent for former Mustangs. Just under a fifth of SMU grads wind up using Project Management at their job, which is one of the most common skills among alumni. Other prime know-hows include Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, and Marketing Communications.

Benefits and Perks

Only two-fifths of alumni for this school enjoy paid vacation days and about one in three grads get paid sick time. Most respondents participate in a 401(k) retirement savings plan. Health coverage is awarded to most survey participants, and dental insurance is issued to a fair number of grads as well. Southern Methodist University alumni are also on the receiving end of a casual working environment, life insurance, a company-subsidized cell phone, and flexible hours.

Related Schools

Catholic University of America grads report the most similar salaries to SMU alums, earning $72K on average. Saint Louis University-Main Campus, the University of Denver, and Claremont Graduate University are also similar to SMU.